5 Of The Best Radio Headphones For Lawn Mowing

Some people will tell you it’s such a stupid idea to mow the lawn while listening to a radio. Most of them argue that the radio will cause distractions putting you at the risk of hurting yourself.

This is complete bullshit as I have been mowing with my radio headphones for years and I have never cut my toes.

Is it safe to mow a lawn while listening to the radio?

The answer to this question is yes and no. Can you drive while listening to music? Can you drive while drinking coffee? It depends on the person. There are some people that are able to do it, while others can’t.

If you can listen to your favorite radio station and at the same time mow the lawn, go ahead and buy yourself the best radio headphones for lawn mowing.

From my experience, when you wear the headphones, you tend to enjoy your work more which sees you giving your best.

Things to ask yourself when buying the best radio headphones for lawn mowing

For you to buy the best lawn mowing radio headphones, you need to ask yourself a number of things:

Are the headphones comfortable?

If you have a large lawn, you should expect to wear your radio headphones for hours. For example, I spend up to six hours mowing the lawn every week.

There is no way you will enjoy your work if the headphones are uncomfortable. If the headphones are too heavy or the ear pads and headband are too hard or stiff to fit you perfectly, you won’t have a good time mowing your lawn.

When making the purchase, check whether the headband is adjustable. The ear pads should be made from durable cushioned material, and the headphones should have an ergonomic design that gives you a comfort fit.

How is the sound quality?

The reason you are buying protection headphones with radio is that you want to listen to your favorite music, right? Then why would you buy pieces with a poor sound quality?

You don’t have to buy pieces that allow you to adjust the bass or give you more defined beats, but they should give you a sound that you can enjoy.

You should be able to clearly hear the sound on the headphones even when the lawn mowing is working at its best.

Can you connect the headphones with other devices?

In addition to the lawn mowing headphones having the AM/FM radio feature, they also should be compatible with other devices.

To make this possible, you should buy headphones with a Bluetooth feature that allows you to listen to music wirelessly from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

The pieces should also have an audio input that allows you to connect the music player and other devices through a standard audio cable or SD card slot. This feature will allow you to listen to your dedicated playlist while mowing.

How is the volume management?

Since you will be listening to the radio in a noisy environment, you want pieces that you to easily control the volume. You should buy pieces that allow you to raise the volume to a level you are comfortable with.

You also should be able to reduce the volume without much hassle.

You should note that some hearing protector radio headphones provide auto adjustment and will limit the volume to a safe level. When making the purchase, you should know your interests.

How long do the batteries last?

Different radio headphones have different types of batteries but the most common ones are 2 AA and rechargeable lithium-polymer or lithium-ion. Your choice is based on preferences. In my opinion, I would recommend you go with headphones that have AA batteries.

This is because the batteries last for a long time. For example, I had pieces that lasted between 20 and 30 hours. Others last up to 100 hours of continuous use.

My worst experience is with lithium batteries that last for less than 10 hours of continuous use. One thing I have noticed is that the battery life is directly proportional to the quality of the headphone.

This means that if you buy a cheap, low-quality headphone, the battery will most likely have a short lifespan. The good thing is that you can always replace the batteries if you feel they aren’t giving you the service you want.

The hearing protectors combine the headphone technology with protection earmuffs.

How is the noise reduction?

The pieces provide you with a 25 noise reduction rating (NRR) which is perfect when working in low to medium noise levels such as in the yard.

The volume is limited to 82 dBA rating which is below the maximum 85 dBA recommended by OSHA.

Compared to the other headphones I have used over the years, these pieces seem to block most of the outside noise so well.

I can attribute this to their solid construction with strong plastic housing and vinyl padding that surrounds the ear completely.

I don’t about you, but I have a big head. When I wear the headphones, they are very tight on the head which prevents most of the noise from getting in.

Does the radio work?

I also own 3M Tek and Peltor headphones but I have to say that the FM radio tuner in these headphones is one of the best I have ever come across.

I live in the rural areas but the tuner doesn’t have problems finding the radio stations, as it’s the case with other headphones I have used before.

The headphones feature an LCD display that lets you know the stations that are available. When I started using the headphones, I had problems with the controls, especially the volume control.

Maybe it’s because the control is recessed into the pieces. If you look at it, the control is only exposed at the very bottom thus it can be a challenge to properly control the volume.

When I switched on the radio, I was surprised to notice that the headphones are much louder than my Pelter and Tek. This may be due to the superior noise reduction that they provide as they have the same specs as the other headphones.

Are the headphones comfortable?

Howard Leight has installed a number of great features on these headphones that makes them some of the most comfortable pieces in the market that you can buy.

The pieces have a patented air flow control technology that reduces sound across all the frequencies without increasing the weight and size of the earcups.

The cool thing is that the pieces have multiple attenuation levels.

The lightweight ear cup design comes in handy in giving you all the comfort you need when mowing your lawn.

The headband is padded with reinforced fork slides thus if you have a large head like mine, you don’t hurt your head even when the headphones are too tight.

To make it easy for you to maintain and replace them, the headphones have snap-in ear cushions.

While the pieces are very comfortable to wear, I have an issue with sweat. I’m a big guy and when working under the sun in Central Florida, I sweat a lot.

This means that any material that isn’t made from natural fiber, can’t stand my sweat.

These headphones are made from solid vinyl, which as all of you know, isn’t natural. After a few minutes under the sun, the headphones get too slippery and I have to keep on putting them in place, which is distracting.

Is the music good?

Well, you will enjoy the music, but it’s not the same as when using high-end headphones. Let’s be honest, Sync earmuffs aren’t meant to be in the audiophile arena.

You shouldn’t expect the sweet, clear music you get when using top-notch headphones such as…

You will experience distortion and harshness, especially when listening to higher frequencies. The good part of these pieces is the bass. It’s sweet. It’s neither boomy nor tiring, as it’s the case with cheap headphones.

If you aren’t looking for extremely high volumes, these earmuffs will work perfectly for you.

Cons

These pieces put together every feature every radio lover likes when working.

Noise reduction

The most important feature to consider when buying protection devices is their effectiveness at attenuating sound from the lawn mower.

These work tunes have a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 24 dB.

The rating isn’t high enough to block most of the noise, but at the same time, they aren’t horrible.

When you wear them properly, you will prevent most of the lawn mower noise from damaging your ears.

How comfortable are they?

Who would be comfortable dragging a lawn mower for hours in uncomfortable hearing protection devices? Not me.

The hearing protectors have a redesigned headband that features vents and ear cushions that increase your comfort levels when working.

The pieces also feature softer earcup padding for extended comfort. The padding is removable therefore, if you find that you don’t like wearing it, you can simply remove it.

Are they wireless?

When watching a movie, reading a book or commuting on a train, cords aren’t an issue but when you are moving the lawn mower from one side to the other, they can be a nuisance.

Cords get in the way, are easily pulled out and limit your movement, especially when they are too long or too short.

3M has solved this issue by making these pieces wireless. You can use Bluetooth to stream audio from your phone or MP3 player.

How is the AM/FM radio?

The inbuilt AM/FM radio tuner allows you to save up to 50 radio stations. Programming these many stations is a hustle and this is why the hearing protectors have a voice assist technology that does all the work.

The auto scanning feature also comes in handy in helping you to quickly find and save the stations.

For an enhanced listening experience, the headphones have a spectacular radio performance and bass boost option.

Batteries

At the time of buying these headphones, you won’t receive the batteries. You will have to buy 2 AA batteries separately. If you don’t like using these batteries, you have the option of using lithium battery pack.

Nobody wants to recharge or buy new batteries every now and then. To save the battery, the headphones turn themselves off after 2 hours of inactivity.

Other cool features of the hearing protectors

The rotary dial allows you to tune the radio and at the same time operate the Bluetooth controls.

Courtesy of this feature, you can keep the smartphone or Bluetooth enabled device in your pocket while you do your work.

The safe volume technology corrects the audio levels to a safe exposure level thus you don’t suffer from hearing problems.

The headphones have an “Audio assist technology” that guides you through setting up and operating the electronics without taking off the ear muffs.

The feature verbally tells you what you are doing when you hit a given control on the headphone.

Pros

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Very comfortable

The audio assist technology feature comes in handy in helping you in using them

They block most of the noise. In fact, when I wore them and cranked up the bass, I couldn’t hear the lawn mower that was only six feet away.

Lightweight

Awesome reception

Top-notch sound quality

Cons

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I found them much pricier than their wired counterparts

You can’t pick a call using them. I researched and found that I had to buy a much expensive pair if I wanted the feature.

I know Bluetooth is the current craze. Right off the bat, I have to tell you, if you are looking for Bluetooth enabled radio headphones for mowing, I’m sorry, these aren’t.

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You should take a look at 3M worktunes or any other Bluetooth enabled devices

While this is the case, the pieces have a number of great features that you may find great to have:

How is noise reduction?

The headphones have a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 25 which is quite higher than most of the other products that go at the same price.

The pieces make use of the patented air flow control technology that prevents outside sounds from entering your eyes.

Are they comfortable?

When I wore the headphones for the first time, I thought, “Wao, these are light!” according to the manufacturers, the headphones are only 1.1lbs which isn’t much.

The pieces are also small and you can easily fold them when traveling or storing them.

Another thing that caught my eye is the small ear cups. I later learned its due to the patented air flow control technology that makes it possible for Stanley to make small ear cups without compromising on the quality.

The comfort of the protection devices is further enhanced by the padded headband that features reinforced fork slides.

Due to these features, you can wear the units the entire day without complaining about discomfort.

I’m very lazy when it comes to cleaning my hearing protectors as I feel I’m damaging them. these pieces make your work easy as they have snap-in ear cushions that allow you to remove them from the hearing protectors, clean them, and then replace them. This isn’t much of a hassle, is it?

For you to get the most from the headphones you should wear them properly. For a firm seal, secure the ear cushions over the ear.

How is the radio?

I have to say that the radio is my best feature in these headphones. The radio has one of the best receptions I’ve come across in a long time.

As I had mentioned before, I live in the rural areas but with these headphones, I feel as if the radio station is next door.

The headphones also have a hi-fidelity digital stereo tuner that makes it easy for you to tune the radio and get your favorite station.

The most attractive thing about the radio is the large LCD display that allows you to search the radio stations and store up to 10 radio stations.

Do the batteries last

When you buy these headphones, they don’t come with batteries, but you need 2 AA batteries that you can buy separately.

I noticed the headphones consume a lot of energy thus I wouldn’t recommend you buy the regular batteries. This is because you will use so many of them that you will end up spending more money on the batteries that you spent buying the headphones.

The best way of going about it is investing in high-quality rechargeable AA batteries. When these batteries are properly charged, they last the entire day and you won’t have to worry about buying new ones.

Are the headphones durable?

I know, no one wants pieces that will come apart after only a few uses. I promise these won't. They are made from high-quality plastic; therefore, you should expect them to last for a long time.

While the units are designed to last for a long time, you need to take good care of them.

This calls for you to avoid using them in wet environments and other harsh conditions.

Cons

I went for these after my 3M Tek headphones started developing sound issues.

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I have been using these for two months and so far, I haven’t experienced any problems.

Sound quality

This is what I was going for when I was buying the pieces, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The pieces provide better tone balance and less bass than the 3Ms.

Towards the end of using them, the 3m used to make dead like bass that was irritating to the ears.

The bass in these headphones is rich and vibrant which not only makes it fun to listen to, it also aids in blocking the noise coming from my lawn mowing tractor.

How is the radio?

So far the radio has been great. The tuning works perfectly and the reception is great. This is highly commendable as I live in the rural areas where I’m surrounded by mountains.

The headphones allow you to digitally search and save your favorite stations.

Just like other similar products in the market, the pieces have a display where you can see the rations that you are selecting.

Do they block noise?

You bet they do. While they don’t block all the noise, they do a great job at bringing it to a minimum. I’m fond of driving the car while wearing headphones, but I wouldn’t recommend you to do this. This is because they block almost all of the noise.

Last week I drove as I normally do and I couldn’t hear anything which as you know is dangerous as you can’t tell when you hit something.

The sound also tends to distract you on the road. You should only use these when cutting grass. I repeat, don’t drive while wearing them.

How comfortable are they?

They aren’t the most comfortable headphones I have worn, but they aren’t bad. I spend six hours mowing the lawn and I have been wearing these the entire time without any discomfort.

I tend to sweat a lot and when I did, I noticed that the pieces get wet too fast thus start sliding. This forces me to keep on putting them in place.

Cons

Best radio headphones for lawn mowing care

Buying the best radio headphones for lawn mowing isn’t enough—you need to take good care of them.

Why you need to take care of your headphones

There are plenty of reasons why you should take good care of your headphones:

Better functionality: There is no way damaged headphones will function optimally. For you to ensure that the pieces give you the service you deserve, you need to take good care of them.

Saves you money: Since you keep the pieces in good condition, you don’t have to head to the stores to buy new ones. As a result, you save money that you would have spent doing it.

Better comfort: When lawn mowing, you will be wearing the headphones for up to 6 hours. Poorly maintained headphones are not only ugly to look at, they are also uncomfortable to wear.

When you take good care of the pieces, they are comfortable and you can wear them the entire day without any issues.

This not only increases your productivity, you also enjoy your work.

Tips for proper headphone care

There are many ways in which you can take care of the headphones. Some of these ways include:

Properly use the headphones

Everything begins here. You need to properly use the pieces for them to last for a long time.

When connecting or disconnecting your headphones to your device, ensure that the device isn’t playing any audio. Also, ensure that the volume is down.

You should note that failure to do this can cause the drivers to “pop” resulting in early driver failure.

You should avoid overdriving the earphones while the source is too high or distorted. Remember, that high-level signals that cause distortion in the drivers can result in driver failure.

A poor quality distorted source can also cause damage to the drivers.

Clear the headphones

Another thing you need to do is to keep the earphones and headphones clean all the time.

This keeps the pieces looking good and at the same time prevents bacteria and other pathogens from accumulating putting your ear at the risk of infection.

You should remove the earbuds or padding and clean them. The best way of cleaning them is washing them with warm soapy water and dry them thoroughly before putting them back on the headphones.

For ideal results, clean the pieces once a week. When cleaning, be gentle with it. You shouldn’t push down on the pad or scrub it.

If there is dirt on the headphones, get rid of it using a soft brush or cloth. Avoid using sharp objects to get rid of the residues as you can easily damage the pieces.

Do your headphones have knots or tangles? You should untangle them as the knots have been shown to damage the pieces.

Store the pieces properly

Once you are done with your lawn mowing, you need to properly store the headphones.

One of the most effective ways of doing it is getting a good, hard case to store the headphones. The case will protect the pieces from bending out of shape or getting smashed.

The case also protects the headphones from sunlight, wind, and other weather elements.

If your headphones have a cable, you need to pay attention to it. You should note that improper care of the cable leads to premature wear and breakage.

You shouldn’t let the cable sit in a huge tangled mess. You also should avoid wrapping it tightly around your headphones or music playing device.

Also, don’t let the cable dangle loosely towards the ground.

The best way of going about it is wrapping it in loose broad loops that don’t put a strain or stretch the wires inside it. Doing this also keeps the cable ordered so that it doesn’t dangle up stretching the wires that are on the way.

After loosely wrapping the cable, hold it together with a twist tie or hair clip.

Replace the problematic parts

When using the headphones, it’s common for some of the parts to develop problems. If you notice issues such as buzzing, losing sound on one side, or worn out cushions, you should replace the problematic area.

You should be smart in your replacements. For example, you should replace the parts that are much cheaper than the new pair. If the part is expensive, you are better off buying new headphones.

If you have replaced the part and still the headphones are having issues, you should consider replacing them entirely. When buying new headphones, consider the factors I mentioned above.

To increase the chances of buying high-quality pieces, buy from a reputable brand.

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